Favoured format for Traveller books?

[TrippyHippy]

What would be your favoured format for the books - if you had a choice? Would you prefer the standard 8.5x11" hardback, or a pocket size (6x9") softback, e-books, or possibly something else? Maybe a mix of all three?

Personally, I'd prefer the pocket book format, because it would be more portable and handy, a slight throwback to the lbbs of Classic Traveller, and could possibly reduce the cost of art and printing somewhat (which could be channelled to the customer), without necessarily compromising style.

Of course, a bigger book would allow more space for art and formatting - allowing a complete 2 page spread for career types, for example. But then, is that really neccessary, given the generally minimalist style of the game?

What do you think?

 

[Emperor Herdan]

Reminds me of an old old joke...

"Do you like Chocholate?" "Yes, please"

Count me in as the "Yes, Please" group.

Take care

E. Herdan

 

[AKAramis]

What would be your favoured format for the books - if you had a choice? Would you prefer the standard 8.5x11" hardback, or a pocket size (6x9") softback, e-books, or possibly something else? Maybe a mix of all three?

For tangibles, preferred is a stitched hardcover. My BBB (Traveller Hardcover, ca 1984) has survived years of abuse... and still isn't shedding pages (but has massive spine wear...).

I like e-books, since I can print them to my preferred LBB side (5.5x8.5"), even if they are originally 6x9, 5x8, 8.5x11, 9x12, or A4... I don't like Mongoose's E-books, since the do not print well. Having two versions in the purchase would be wonderful: one that looks just like the printed, and one that lacks background images so that I don't waste 10 tons of ink! (BTRC ships two editions on all their E-Books: Color and Grayscale; the grayscale has been adapted to print well).

For use in play, 8.5x11 softcover or spiral.

 

[EDG]

Standard 8.5x11" softback for me. I'm only interested in hardbacks that are 300+ pages.

 

[Takei]

I voted 6"x9" hardback but 8.5"x11" would also be OK.

A pdf version would also be nice, assuming it was printer friendly or a printer friendly version was included.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

As long as the core rules book is nice 'n' chunky (say 300+ pages) I'd go for the hardback option. Less than 300 pages I'd want soft back.

I'm not sure an LBB style could cope with the amount of text etc most games have these days - remember, most of the orignal LBBs were between 44 and 48 pages, with the text in roughly 9 point font (which I admit I find a little hard to read on the page - hence my buying the CDROMs). GDW appeared to have switched to the bigger format soft cover books (AMs, SMC, AotI) due to the space limits of the LBBs . GT books are probably the best laid out and illustrated even if they suffer from spine failure over time (I bought a brand new copy of GT:Rim of Fire and the cover fell off within 3 days; my second hand copy of GT:First In is in mortal danger of losing pages imminently).

 

[Jame Rowe]

I voted for other, but would like to make this exception: no EBooks! I prefer printed stuff that I can pick up and read through without a computer.

 

[MJD]

Anything I can beat players to death with is fine by me.

 

[EDG]

That'd be a first - the first RPG to be inscribed on the side of a large wooden club

 

[MJD]

I WANT to work on that porject!!!

 

[Sturn]

I want my hefty hardback that will stand the test of time (like my BBB that has yet to lose a page, although it looks horrible).

I also like having a PDF (actually Word would be better for me :lol: ). I know this creates problems of theft (sending copies to a buddy), but I like being able to create my own print outs and own manuals that have been editted with house rules and errata, etc.

 

[captainjack23]

That'd be a first - the first RPG to be inscribed on the side of a large wooden club

Sounds like a potential format for a new edition of Creeks and Crawdads (tm) .....

 

[atpollard]

I'd like a 3"x5" book that can fit in a shirt pocket and sells for a couple dollars, like the original Car Wars books.

 

[GamerDude]

the current style of HB book, like D&D and the Classic Traveller HardBack.

I'm glad one of the options wasn't those stupidly designed SW:Saga Edition.

 

[Voodoo B Do]

The original size of Trav was great. Went in the pocket fine could be held with one hand easily. Cross referencing books was easy too. I always thought the big hard back format was for posers. Still do.

 

[Bishop Odo]

Well, I bring more lead to a game than a squad of marines, so size and weight don’t matter to me. I’m a full size book person, hard or soft cover, no matter, but the hard cover better be worth the coin, also the binding matters. Too many “Hard” covers have really cheap binding and that annoys the heck out of me, there suppose to be more durable. Publisher are not fooling anyone, so just go for the quality.

 

[Voodoo B Do]

Yes i forgot to add metal stapled was the best binding. Easily repaired or even improved. The old books could have new bits added.

 

[michael]

Personally, I'd prefer the pocket book format, because it would be more portable and handy, a slight throwback to the lbbs of Classic Traveller, and could possibly reduce the cost of art and printing somewhat (which could be channelled to the customer), without necessarily compromising style.

I agree! Will there be a "pocket-sized" Traveller?
thanks!

 

[Infojunky]

As some one said about my question about funny sided dice.

Anything other than Digest sized just isn't traveller.

To be quite honest I would be happier than a "pig-in-mud" if we all went back to digest sized supplements.

It limits the topics that can be covered in a book to a few core ones.

 

[zozotroll]

Big books. Hard is better, soft is OK.

Just no E only. That is why I am still short BtC and First In. If they where still hardcopy I would have bopught them.